Definition

The term letter of inquiry refers to a prospecting document delivered to companies that may be hiring employees but do not appear to have any job openings posted. There are a number of ways to send a letter of interest, including through the postal service, email, as well as professional networking websites.

Explanation

Also known as a letter of interest, a letter of inquiry is not sent in response to a job posting; rather, it is sent to a company that is of interest to a job hunter. The letter should explain why the job hunter would like to work at this company, as well as how their skills and experience would make them a valued employee. As is the case with resumes and cover letters, a letter of inquiry should follow a predefined format as indicated below:

Opening Paragraph: should include the types of jobs being sought, as well as two or three skills that make the writer a strong candidate. The opening paragraph needs to compel the recipient to continue reading the letter.

Middle Paragraph: should include several fact-filled examples of how the skills mentioned in the opening paragraph produced excellent results in the past.

Closing Paragraph: should include an offer to meet with the employer to answer any questions they might have about the writer's qualifications, and to explore the possibility of full time employment.

Example

The following is an example of a well-written letter of inquiry. The document uses the outline mentioned above:

I am interested in joining Newcompany as a member of the corporate planning team. In addition to possessing an MBA in Corporate Finance, I have seven years of experience in the budgeting and business planning processes.

In the role of manager - workforce planning, I used lean six sigma techniques to lower annual operating expenses by $2.8 million, which was 8.3% of the planned cost. More recently, I've been responsible for planning efforts that include: development of the company's balanced scorecard, as well as investor day conference materials.

I would like the opportunity to discuss my background and how I can make an immediate contribution to Newcompany's corporate planning team as well as answer any questions you may have about my background.